Health and Work Service Dr Bill Gunnyeon Chief Medical Adviser DWP Health and Wellbeing

1. Health and Work ServiceDr Bill GunnyeonChief Medical Adviser DWP Health and Wellbeing

2. Fitness for Work: the Government response to “Health at Work – an independent review of sickness absence” • Cost of sickness absence: • Economy - £15bn • Employers - £9bn • Individuals - £4bn • Government - £2bn • A state-funded health and work assessment and advisory service from 2014 [now Health and Work Service] • Funded through abolition of the Percentage Threshold Scheme • Access to Universal Jobmatch for those requiring job change • Retention of tax relief on Employee Assistance Programmes • Budget and Autumn Statement 2013: tax exemption on medical treatments recommended by the Health and Work Service or employer-arranged occupational health services

3. Source: Annual Population Survey (APS) – Office for National Statistics February 2014

4. Sickness absence in Scotland • 49% of long term absentees in Scotland (4 weeks+) are over-50 compared with 28% of employee population overall • 51% of long term absentees in Scotland are disabled • £9 billion annual cost of sickness absence to employers UK-wide Source: DWP analysis of Labour Force Survey Oct 2010-Sept 2013 and data relating to Young V. and Bhaumik, C (2011), Health and Well-being at Work: a survey of employees. DWP Research Report No. 751; Black, C. and Frost, D (2011). Healtha t work – an independent review of sickness absence. DWP.

5. All employers, employees and GPs in GB Employees on, or expected to reach, four weeks’ sickness absence What is the Health and Work Service? Health and Work Service • Purpose • Make independent expert health and work advice more widely available to employees, employers and GPs • Help employees to return to work, support employers to better manage sickness absence and give GPs access to work-related health support for their patients • Complement and work with existing in-house occupational health provision • Advice: • Health and Work advice to enable return to, or retention of, work • Website and telephone line • Occupational health advisers or other appropriate professionals • Assessment • Referral through GP and employer • Occupational health assessment • Identifies issues preventing a return to work, culminating in a Return to Work Plan • Signpost to appropriate interventions • Telephone or face to face where appropriate 5

6. Health and Work Service – Critical Success Factors • Early intervention that is prompt and rapid • Independent and objective advice • Quality of advice, assessment and return to work plan • Ease of use • Nationally available with consistent standards • Innovative and flexible

7. Health and Work Service – assessment model Discharge Follow Up Case management Outcomes Return to work OR Continue on sickness absence Biopsychosocial Assessment Case manager contact Return to work plan Customer Contact Delivery of a more intensive service including additional assessment(s) and specialist advice RtWP/ revised RtWP Case manager contact Employer contact as necessary Recommended work-focused interventions are progressed

8. Stylised sickness absence journey for an employee receiving SSP and/or contractual sick pay (For illustrative purposes only) 7 day self-certification period Evidence of sickness absence GP fit note Return to Work Plan Employee on sickness absence Referral by GP HWS Assessment Return to Work HWS action Referral by employer Case Management Discharge Follow up 6 weeks absence 4 weeks absence Employer contacted as necessary Employer OH contacted as necessary Employer/ Employer OH oversees recommended interventions Tax exemption on medical treatments up to £500 Employer action/ involvement

9. Delivery of the Health and Work Service • England and Wales • External procurement • Invitation to tender issued 13 February 2014 • Scotland • Agency agreement with Scottish Government to be put in place to deliver on behalf of DWP • Overall • Same service and outputs across Great Britain • Implementation late 2014 • Phased introduction

10. Benefits of the Health and Work Service • A new approach to and focus on sickness absence • A further step change in culture, perceptions and behaviour • For individuals earlier return to work and reduced risk of job loss and benefit dependency • Financial savings (GB): • £65m - £80m for employers • £105m - £225m for Government • £450m - £900m for the economy

11. “The new (Health and Work) Service has the potential and provides opportunities to render a holistic approach by bringing GPs, employers, employees and occupational health professionals together to limit the number of people drifting into labour market exclusion and improve individuals’ health so they can lead healthy and productive lives.” • “Mental Health and Work – United Kingdom” • OECD – February 2014

12. Questions?